Air Academy to develop learning proposition with new hire

Later life platform, Air, has appointed Dan Holden into the newly created role of Head of Academy Learning Programme at Air Academy.

Dan has an extensive background in higher education and over 7 years’ experience in developing training programmes, mentoring individuals, and building educational business partnerships.

The Academy provides advisers with insight, support, and content to enable them to develop their professionalism in the later life market.

Advisers who complete the nine core modules, which are accredited by the London Institute of Banking and Finance and aligned to the Equity Release Council’s Competency Framework, gain permission to display a unique ‘Accredited Later Life Lending Professional’ digital badge to promote their later life credentials.

Dan will be responsible for building on these modules to develop the proposition into one that will move from just supporting Air members to eventually covering the needs of the wider market on a white label basis.

He will also work closely with Air Ambassadors and organisations like the LIBF to provide a broader and more inclusive proposition to take individuals from passing their initial exams to becoming an expert in the later life lending field.

Paul Glynn, CEO of Air, said: “Air Academy is the only training scheme operating in the later life lending space accredited by London Institute of Banking and Finance and aligned with the Equity Release Council’s competency framework. With Consumer Duty demanding that organisations step up to provide good customer outcomes, now is the time to build on this approach to support our members with a wider range of training options and a more inclusive approach. Dan’s appointment could not have come at a better time to super charge this, and I look forward to working with Dan as he helps to take Air Academy to the next level.”

Dan Holden added: “Having worked with advisers as well as businesses, I know how important it is to support continual learning and help people provide the type of professional empathetic advice that they would want if they were a customer. I am therefore delighted to become Head of Air Academy and am looking forward to helping to build, grow and develop the offering of this important part of the market.”